Sunday, January 23, 2011

what's your ism?

Ever since I got back from my honeymoon and had had my fill of all the dairy and meat I wanted, I started to think that maybe going back on a diary free, mostly meat free diet would be a really good idea.

As with most every other decisions I make, I thought a lot about it, but still did nothing (because I have to over-analyze these kinds of things until their dead), but it has been really weighing heavily on me in the last couple of months and I'm starting to seriously consider either going pescetarian (a vegetarian who occasionally eats fish), vegetarian, or vegan.

I've recently come to the conclusion that I'm going to try to start off becoming a pescetarian because that will be the easiest transition for me (I adore tuna sandwiches, salmon & swordfish). The only problem with that is David detests fish. He has no problem with me eating it, but if I make a piece of salmon for dinner, what is David going to eat?? Cooking two separate meals is so not appealing, but I guess I could swing it with determination.

Once I become acclimated to reducing my meat intake to fish, I'll probably make the transition into fully vegetarian. The main problem with this is that many meat substitutes aren't really great for you. They're very processed and I'm assuming full of preservatives (which would defeat the whole purpose of this whole change I'd be making).

After getting myself used to the idea of not eating my favorite food, cheese, I'd probably make the dive right into full fledged veganism. I did no dairy for about a year and a half (due to food sensitivities) and if I could do it once, I could do it again. The problem with eliminating dairy completely (and a problem I currently have) is the issue on whether or not soy is actually good for you. Some articles I have read believe soy is actually harmful to your health. I've been drinking soy milk every day for almost three years. I've tried almond and rice milk and hated it, but then again I hated soy milk when I first tried it and got used to it. So far I haven't found anything online that says almond milk or coconut milk is bad for you. In fact, I've only found positive feedback on coconut milk. I've never tried coconut milk (or water for that matter), so I'm unsure whether I'll like it or not. I'm not a huge coconut fan (and Dave HATES it), but I could make it happen, right?

When asked why I am considering making such a drastic dietary change, I'm often faced with the question of whether my decision is based on health or animal-loving, I don't know what to say exactly. I suppose at first it started out as a health thing, even though I really am a huge animal lover and it is sometimes difficult for me to disassociate the meat on my plate with the animal it came from, that was not my initial concern. I never really considered it until I developed food sensitivities and was forced to cut out red meat and dairy (among many other foods) from my diet. The more I researched my "allergies", as I would call them, I realized just how bad dairy really is for you (God help me, I adore cheese), and so is red meat. Once my body didn't have any of those foods I felt healthier, I wasn't suffering from the excruciating stomach pains, and it really got me to thinking about the animals I really do feel compassion for.

Now I'm not a crazy person who is going to go on a huge rampage telling everyone that meat is murder and they're killing themselves by consuming harmful products and that they MUST develop my new found sensibilities. I'm not going to sit next to someone eating a filet mignon or a chicken taco and look at them with judgement or disgust or worse, tell them they are a murderer. I mean, hellooooo, my husband is the biggest meat eater I've ever met. To David, Heaven is a backyard BBQ. It's my personal decision and I don't expect anyone to bend over backwards for me or to even understand why I decided to change my diet.

I'm still researching a lot before I take the leap, and it's not really a FOR SURE thing that I'll be adopting any of these "isms", but for now, it's just something I'm seriously considering and weighing the pros and cons...

So if anyone out there in blog world has any useful information on any of the above topics, or anything really that has to do with vegetarianism/veganism, please let me know. But if you're a know it all who's only just going to tell me that I'm making the worst mistake of my life and that I'm an idiot, you're advice is not welcome. Just be nice and courteous, please :)